Helena weekly herald., 1887-01-06

"And did you see much of this red rock?n
"The mountain mother is in travail with it. I"
care you sure that your comrades have not
taken possession of the mountain motherp
"As how!"
"By claiming its discovery under the min
ing laws, or by pre-emption!"
They shall not"
But how will you, single handed, fight the
four; for 1 doubt not your scientific friend
has a hand in its"
~ will fight"
eyes, my Concho, but suppose I take the
fight off your hands. Now, here's a propo-
sition: will get half a dozen Americanos to
go in with you. You will have to get money
to work the mine-you will need funds. You
shall share half with them. They will take
the risk, raise the money, and protect you"
II see" said Concho, nodding his head and
winking his eyes rapidly. Bueno"
Il will return in ten minutes" said the
doctor, taking his hat.
He was as good as his word. In ten min
utes he returned with six original locaters a
board of directors, president, secretary, and
Quicksilver Mining Co." This latter was a
delicate compliment to the doctor, who was
popular. The president added to these neces-
sary articles a revolver.
"Take it," he said, handing over the weapon
to Concho. "Take it; my horse is outside;
take that, ride like HI and hang on to the
claim until we Gomez ...---.....
In another moment Concho was in the sad
die. Then the mining director lapsed into
the physician.
Il hardly know" said DR.. Guild, doubt
fully, "if, in your present condition, you
ought to travel You have just taken pow
erful medicine" and the doctor looked hypo-
critically concerned.
@Ah,-the DEVIL" laughed Concho, "what is
the quicksilver that is ia to that which is ont?
Hoopa, la Mula." and, with clatter of hoofs
and jingle of spurs, he was presently lost in
the darkness.
"You were none to soon gentlemen, said the
American alcalde, as he drew up before the
doctors door. "Another company has just
been incorporated for the same location,
reckon"
"Who are they!"
"Three Mexicans-Pedro, Manuel and Mig
uel-headed by that id cock-eyed Sydney
duck, Wiles."
"Are they here?"
manuel and Miguel, only. The others
are over at Tres Pinos lally y-gaging Roscom-
mon and trying to rope him in to pay off their
whisky bills at his grocery"
"If that's SO we needn't start before sunrise,
for they're sure to get roaring drunk"
And this legitimate successor of the grave
Mexican alcaldes having thus delivered his
impartial opinion, rode away.
Meanwhile, Concho the redoubtable, Concho
The way was dark, the trail obscure and at
times even dangerous, and Concho, familiar
as he was with these mountain businesses,
often regretted his sure-footed Francisquita.
"Care not, o Concho," he would say to him.
self, "'tis but a little while, only little while.
and thou shalt have another Francisquita to
bless thee. Eh, shipjack, there was fine music
to thy dancing. A dollar for an ounce-'tis
as good as silver, and merrier" Yet for all
his good spirits he kept a sharp lookout at
certain bends of the mountain trail; not for
assassins or brigands, for Concho was physi-
cally courageous, but for the Evil one, who, in
various forms, was said to lurk in the Santa
Cruz range, to the great discomfort of all true
Catholics. He recalled the incident of Igna-
clio, a muleteer of the Franciscan friars, who,
stopping at the Angelus to repeat the credo,
saw LuZbel plainly in the likeness of mon
strous grizzly bear, mocking him by sitting
on his launches and lifting his paws, clasped
one hand grasping the reins and his rosary
and the other clutching his whisky flask and
revolver, he Jared on SO rapidly that he
reached the summit as the earlier streaks of
dawn were outlining the far-off Sierran
peaks. lettering his horse on a strip of
table land, he descended cautiously afoot un-
til ne reached the bench, the wall of red rock
and the crumbled and dismantled furnace. 1t
was as he had left it that morning; there was
no trace of recent human visitation. Revolver
in hand, Concho examined every cave, gully
and recess, peered behind trees, penetrated
copses of buckeye and manzanita. and listened.
There was no sound but the faint soughine
of the wind over the pines below him. For q
while he paced backward and forward with a
vague sense of being sentinel, but his mer
curial nature soon rebeled against this mo-
notony, and soon the fatigues Of the day began
to tell upon him. Recourse to his whisky
flask only made him the brewster. until at
last he was fain to lie down and roll himself
up tightly in his blanket. The next moment
be was sound asleep.
His horse neighed twice from the summit
but Concho heard him not. Then the brush
cracked on the ledge above him, a small frag-
ment of rock rolled near his feet, but be stirred
not And then two black figures were cut
lined on the crags beyond.
aSt-t-t!" whispered voice. sThere is one
lying beside the furnace" The speech was
Spanish, but the voice was Wiles'.
The other figure crept cautiously to the